Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Our main hallway doesn’t have much in it besides a carpet runner and a thermostat. So I’m always looking for ways to spiff it up. Especially since it’s the most used, most traveled area of our house.

Here’s a collection of some of my favorite ideas for giving a hallway its own personality!

1. I love this style from Thistlewood Farms. The dark frames with the labels, the chandelier, the shadow box … greatness! And this totally makes me want to put wainscot in our hallways. I also like the wreath, and especially the contrast of the stained door against the wall trim.

2. I like this end-of-the-hallway collage, too. She used all the space, and didn’t just hang a picture or three at eye level (which is totally what I would do without Pinterest). Because when you’re standing at the other end of the hall, you see the whole space, right? Everything is in the same color palette and works well with the wall color. And, bonus points for cleverly camouflaging the smoke detector with all the different shapes and sizes of frames.

3. Our stairwell could use this sort of sentiment! I love the big “&” typography, as well as the different shapes, sizes, and colors of frames. I’m betting each of these photos tells a story of a great moment in time. Don’t you just want to linger in this space?

4. On the other hand, this collage of mismatched frames all painted black is stunning! I love the initial and the addition of mirrors for some interest. This picture is of a nursery, but I like the idea of it in a stairwell or hallway.

5. Big, black and white photos always look stunning. And from ceiling to floor, this really makes a statement at the end of hallway. I love the photo of the dog! She’s part of the family for sure, so why not?

6. Whoa. I love the stripes. I’m not sure my hubby would be on board with me painting the hallway in stripes, nor am I sure I’d have the patience to paint them. But, this is outstanding and makes a huge statement on the walls without the use of frames or photos. This must be what they mean when they say a space has “energy”!

Tip #2 One of those “why didn’t I think of this” moments! Use painters tape to measure the distance between two nails. Then place the tape on the wall and make sure it’s level before hammering in the nails.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Do your kids collect trinkets the way mine do? You know what I mean ~ the teeny, tiny pieces that come in the form of party favors, value meals, school "treasure chest" awards, you-did- great-at-the-dentist-prizes, and sometimes I swear just appear out of nowhere? You know what I mean, right?

Here’s how I am managing (and lightening) my kids’ collection:

My kids LOVE their trinkets. And, I have girls. So on any given day aside from trinkets, there are also about 50 of these all over the house:

And I have three nephews, so you Boy Moms out there can substitute hair bands for Legos, Matchbox cars, and Transformers. I feel your pain, too.

My goal was to find a way to corral my kids Tiny Toys. First, I tried using see-through shoe boxes:

It worked for awhile, but I didn't like that it took up space on their bookshelves, or workspace at their desks. Or that it overflowed. Or that it just looked like a hot mess. I wanted their Tiny Toys to have a "home", and this wasn't cutting it.

So I went with Plan B: The Hanging Jewelry Keeper. A trip to Home Goods was all it took. (And really, who doesn't love a trip to Home Goods?!) Mine were $14.99 each.

I bought one for each of my girls, and they’re working out FABulously! They're two-sided AND they swivel, so they can flip it over easily.

I hung each one on a Hercules hook because with a lot of swiveling I thought a nail might too easily pop out of the drywall.

Close up of the hanger on the Hercules hook:

Plus, there's LOTS of pockets, so they can really fill these things up. There are larger pockets at the bottom for sunglasses, wallets and even Barbie dolls. You can buy some with zippered pockets, too.

Now we are all happy. I love them soooo much, I may or may not have bought a third one for my own jewelry (smile).

The girls can see all their trinkets and take one out or put it back easily. No dumping out the entire shoe box of stuff looking for the glow in the dark wrist band from last Halloween that they need RIGHT NOW for an impromptu puppet show.

And with our new jewelry keepers came one very important new rule: once it's filled up, any new trinkets are welcome, but they must replace an old one. The old ones then disappear*. (Virtual high fives all around!)

So, Momma's happy too. Did I mention I hung these on the wall inside their closets at kid-level?

Out of sight, out of mind.

Next up, I’m putting in a couple of these hooks.

Because we also have tons of these lying around. And they seriously need a home. In the closet.

Have a organized day!

- Lori

*Our toys “disappear” into a box we have labeled “South Africa”. We recycle toys all year long, and then send it with our church missionaries when they visit less-fortunate children in South Africa (or elsewhere) each summer. It’s a win-win for everyone. =)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

So if you read my post earlier this week, this was #4 on the projects I wanted to try this summer. And this is such a fun and easy project! I found this big ceramic pitcher at Home Goods :

…and wanted to add an image on it for a little something extra. So today I’m sharing how I did it.

1. Print an image you’d like to transfer using a laser printer. (Ink jet will not work.) I used this free image from The Graphics Fairy:

(If you have an ink jet printer, then save the image to a memory stick and take it to an office supply store and have them print it for you on a laser printer. I took mine to Office Depot where a black and white copy is less than 50 cents.)